Operation Shado Kolpo
After the Imperial Blitzkrieg and the surrounding of Coruscant by the Galactic Empire's Task Force Hammer, the main trade lanes into and out of Coruscant were slowly choked by Grand Admiral Danik Kreldin's Fleet. Slowly but surely, an economic crisis developed on Coruscant, when imports such as food, medical supplies, weapons and other neccessary trades were limited by Imperial restrictions on civilian freighters heading into and out of the system. With riots and civil unrest breaking out throughout Coruscant, members of the New Republic Military's command staff began developing ideas on how to curb the blockade. Realizing that an all out military strike to break the choke-hold could prove too costly, Operation Shado Kolpo was developed, with the guidance of Jedi Master and Starfighter Corps General Luke Skywalker. Huttese for "Fast Runner", Shado Kolpo was designed as a military operation to find potential holes in the Empire's blockade, and escort civilian freighters into the New Republic's protected space immediately surrounding Coruscant. First Wave Under the direction of Brig. General Ikihsa Enb'zik, special operations and NRI teams snuck through the blockade and made initial contact with a number of trade corporations on New Republic worlds. These teams began to negotiate and set up civilian blockade runners with military escorts, giving them rendezvous points and information on their individual blockade runs. On the first wave, New Republic task forces managed to escort twenty freighters of varying size out of Coruscant, undetected by the Empire. They used the long-range sensor capabilities of A-Wing scoutcraft to search for holes in the blockade, then ran the freighters through with X-Wing escorts. However, Imperial sensor satellites caught a number of the outgoing runs, and Kreldin's Task Force Hammer responded. The New Republic's task forces rendezvou'd with sixteen inbound freighters, and began their blockade runs back into the Coruscant system. While only one freighter was taken down by Imperial patrols on the way back in, the most notable engagement faced the New Republic's Task Force Zulu against portions of the Empire's War Shrike Squadron. Led by Luke Skywalker, Kyrin Sh'vani, and detailing four X-wing starfighters, Task Force Zulu engaged the War Shrikes, led by Krieg, Loki, and detailing six TIE Interceptor Mk. 2's. Blowing through the smaller X-Wing defences, Krieg's War Shrikes split and engaged both the X-Wings and the freighter. Skywalker was able to take down one of the Interceptors before the bulk freighter lost their aft shields and an engine in the wake of the Shrike's lancing runs. Before any more damage could be done, however, the War Shrike's were dissuaded when a pair of New Republic Corellian Gunships reached sensor range, spelling impending doom for the Imperial fighters. The freighter was escorted back into the protective fold of the New Republic Second Fleet. Assets * New Republic escorts 20 freighters out of Coruscant, and 15 freighters back in. Losses * New Republic loses 2 X-Wings, 1 A-Wing, and 1 civilian bulk freighter. * Empire loses 6 TIE Interceptor Mk 2's. Second Wave As Imperial tacticians put together data collected from the first wave of the operation, the New Republic is blazing toward their second wave of Operation Shado Kolpo. Where the first wave was meant to be a test of the operation's capabilities, the second wave involved a greater number of task forces and escorts. However, the Empire was just almost as quick to respond, and began closing the noose. The New Republic was still able to escort more freighters in and out of Coruscant than they lost, but the casualties had started to gain ground rapidly. One of the more notable blockade runs involved the New Republic's Task Force Alpha. Commanded by Major Johmac Mabru and bolstered by fellow pilots Aramis Tyrese and Athan Cole, Task Force Alpha was faced by the [[ICRV Prowler|HIMS Prowler]], under the command of Commander Jal'Dana Rall, during an attempt to escort three freighters back into Coruscant. Task Force Alpha, made up of X-Wing, A-Wing and Y-Wing pairs, tried to slip through a gap between two of the larger Imperial battle cruisers. However, the Prowler and her escort of TIE Interceptors and Scimitar bombers, detected the blockade runners and engaged them. Task Force Alpha was able to hold off the Imperial fighters at first. At Rall's command, the Empire's Scimitar bombers split into teams of two, with one team attacking the X- and Y-Wings, the other moving to break through the screen and push the freighters into the Prowler's fire arcs. The Interceptors under Rall's direct control engaged the A-Wings. The Prowler found their chance to drop the hammer on one of the freighters, when its captain fearfully tried to break off from the escort group. Both sides start to mount kills on enemy fighters, with the Empire losing 4 Interceptors and 2 bombers, the N.R. losing 2 Y-Wings and 1 A-Wing. Fortunately for the New Republic, the two freighters who stuck with their escort were able to tow the third freighter, which had been disabled by the Prowler, until the task force was free and clear to escape into hyperspace and run back to the Coruscant Safe Zone. By the end of second wave, however, the losses on either side were starting to even out. Notable Mentions :Keline and Loki played NPC roles on the Empire side. PC kills include Cole with 1 kill (Interceptor), Jal'Dana with 1 kill (A-Wing), and both Johmac and Aramis take out a few Scimitars and Interceptors. Assets * New Republic escorts 13 freighters out of Coruscant, and 49 freighters back in. Losses * New Republic loses 2 freighters on outbound runs, and 5 freighters on inbound runs. * New Republic loses 6 X-Wings, 2 Y-Wings, and 4 A-Wings. * Empire loses 17 TIE Interceptor Mk 2's, and 4 Scimitar Bombers. Third Wave Brig. General Ikihsa Enb'zik, carrying along his covert operations, negotiated with the crew of the Camerata Ostile, piloted by Shael Winters, to run the blockade, along with countless others. This run was part of a massive third wave operation, but like so many others, it was destined to disaster, as the Empire was now beyond adjusting to the New Republic's strategy. Led by 2nd Lieutenant Kyrin Sh'vani, a team of four X-Wings tried to slip through the blockade escorting the Camerata Ostile, only to be ambushed by Imperial forces, who had bolstered their patrols. Against six TIE Interceptors and two Scimitar Assault bombers, piloted by Krieg and Loki, Sh'vani's escort team was outgunned. The fighters engaged, with the X-Wings and TIEs going head to head as the Interceptors covered the bombers. The bombers broke clean through the New Republic's escort screen, and opened fire on Shael's freighter. After blowing the Camerata Ostile's shields out, the Imperial bombers took advantage of this new weakness. Not interested in the kill, the bombers came about and hit the engines on a second pass. On the third pass, they destroyed the engines, rendering the freighter dead in space. Halfway through the engagement, an unidentified and unwanted starship entered the fray, seemingly to assist the New Republic. Foolishly piloted by a Chadra Fan named Wibble Sniklit, this starship drew the attention of the [[ISC Broadsword|HIMS Broadsword]], commanded by the esteemed Captain Lynae C. Caiton. After launching a shuttle to board the freighter, both the Scimitar bombers and the Broadsword opened up on Wibble's craft, launching a total of eighteen fighters and two more bombers his way. Overwhelmed, the unwanted starship escaped to Coruscant, and the reinforcements were recalled, freeing the Broadsword to light up on Sh'vani's X-Wings. Within a short while, the X-Wing escorts had been obliterated. Kyrin barely managed to eject after commanding her astro-droid to make a desperate escape for Coruscant with the nearly decimated starfighter Ghost 4. Through the wreckage, the Camerata Ostile and Kyrin Sh'vani were brought on board the Broadsword. The freighter was stripped to the bone, and slingshot back to Coruscant with Shael inside - a message to the New Republic. Kyrin, however, becomes a guest of the Empire... their latest Prisoner Of War. Assets * New Republic escorts 9 freighters out of Coruscant, and 2 freighters back in carrying medical supplies. * Empire gains 1 POW. Losses * New Republic loses 2 freighters on outbound runs, and 8 freighters on inbound runs. * New Republic loses 8 X-Wings. * Empire loses 14 TIE Interceptor Mk 2s. Fourth Wave Given the risk that Kyrin Sh'vani may have been captured by the Imperial forces that obliterated her escort team, along with tactical reports that the Empire was adjusting well to the operation, the New Republic Military's command staff began adjusting their strategic plans. However, they were limited by the fact that civilian freighters had to be given rendezvous points and schedules. Unable to rescind completely on any plans, Second Fleet had no choice but to carry on. The Empire had adjusted well to Operation Shado Kolpo, which was now a publicly known event after IGN began covering its positive affects on Coruscant's economic situation. Across the board, losses were balanced out on either side, but the Empire began to tip the balance in their favor during the fourth wave of the operation. However, near the end of the standard night, the New Republic's Task Force Omega gave the Empire a chance to re-think their actions, and the New Republic hope for the next wave. Having readjusted their strategy, X-Wing starfighters from the [[NRSD Reprisal|NRSD Reprisal's]] Krakana Squadron began rounding up thirty medium bulk freighters, and gave them new rendezvous coordinates. At these coordinates, they were joined by the NRSD Reprisal herself, bolstered by two bulk attack cruisers and the entire 22nd Starfighter Wing's Strike Group Alpha, from the Reprisal. This larger attack group encountered a mere Strike Cruiser with two squadrons of TIE Interceptors on the opposing end. Upon engaging the Imperial forces, Task Force Omega forced a wedge between the Imperial Strike Cruiser and the freighters they were defending. Dagger and Krakana Squadrons engaged the Strike Cruiser, while the remaining forces defended the freighter group from the TIE Interceptors. The New Republic was able to make short work of the Strike Cruiser and put a heavy dent in the Interceptor Squadrons before the remaining Imperial fighters were forced to retreat. Task Force Omega only lost two freighters and two starfighters in the engagement, where the Empire lost not only the strike cruiser, but 21 of the 24 Interceptors they had engaged. It was a crushing blow, but it wouldn't be repeated. Assets * New Republic escorts 7 freighters out of Coruscant, and 28 freighters back in. Losses * New Republic loses 10 freighters on outbound runs, and 2 freighters on inbound runs. * New Republic loses 1 Corellian Gunship, 13 X-Wings, 7 Y-Wings, 11 A-Wings, and 4 B-Wings. * Empire loses 1 Strike Cruiser, 2 Scimitar Assault Bombers, and 23 TIE Interceptor Mk2's. Fifth (final) Wave Under the direction of ISB Interrogator Korynn Fleming, the captured rebel pilot Kyrin Sh'vani was put through intense and terrifying interrogation techniques. The complex series of interrogations began with psychological torture, as she was forced to watch holo-recordings of a fellow comrade, the Jedi Brandis Finian, being mutilated. The next phase involved pain therapy, but these only served to wear the prisoner down. It wasn't until Fleming staged two remarkable threats on the Chyleni prisoner that she capitulated and hit her breaking point, spilling critical information on the operation to the interrogator. While some of the information was false, Imperial strategists and Naval commanders used what was accurate to plan a trap for the next blockade run. Led primarily by the ''Broadsword'' and the ''Prowler'', an Imperial strike team moved into position. Rigging themselves for silent running, they waited for the New Republic to spring the trap, while the Pillager remained at a backdrop distance to run tactical scans and offer backup should it become neccesary. Sending out forward patrols, a rather sizeable New Republic force found sufficient gaps in the blockade. Splitting themselves into three units, the New Republic formed up and began moving an assembly of thirty freighters, ranging in size, through the gap in a single, extended wave. Three Carrack Cruisers, the GSS Admiral Rishar, Cadence, and Starborne, formed a protective triangle. Between them, a trio of smaller corvettes, the Republic Revenge, Dedication and Voidbreaker formed a tighter defense, surrounded by the B-Wings and Y-Wings of Vega Squadron. X-Wings from Shadow and Eagle Squadrons, and A-Wings from Rapier Squadron, pushed into the vanguard positions. The goal was to split the freighters into three smaller 'packets' once through the blockade hole, for further distribution. However, the trap was sprung on the outer rim of the blockade. Bombers from the Broadsword's Darksword Squadron blew through the New Republic's outer defenses, and commenced bombing runs on the Carracks, while the Interceptors from both War Shrike and Viper Squadrons moved in to engage the A- and X-Wings. Vega Squadron tried to engage the Imperial bombers, as the Broadsword and Prowler moved to engage the Admiral Rishar and her Carracks. With turbolaser volleys lashing between the capital ships, the Imperial Interceptors started tearing away at the New Republic's fighters. In a brilliant move, the Broadsword used her tractor beams to start lobbing debris from the battle back into the Carracks' shields, intensifying the battle and severely weakening the New Republic's capital scale defenses. The New Republic Carrack Starborne took a severe volley to her drive unit, lost control, and collided with the Corvette Voidbreaker, destroying two of the New Republic's heavier ships instantly. The Admiral Rishar thus ordered an all-out assault on the Imperial ships, desperately hoping to give the freighters a chance to escape. The Imperials responded by using the Broadsword to cover the Prowler, under the vicious command of Jal'Dana Rall, who began tearing through the civilian freighters. Darksword Squadron's bombers gave up their runs on the New Republic capital ships, and joined the Prowler in their decimation of the civilian freighters, under the protection of the Prowler and her Viper Squadron Interceptors. This brought about a dramatic shift in the battle. As the New Republic's starfighters and the Corvette Republic Revenge tried to engage Darksword Squadron, the Broadsword continued its onslaught of the Admiral Rishar. Not expecting such a dramatic move from the Prowler and the Imperial Scimitar bombers, the New Republic's forces were thrown into confusion. Things started to get out of control, fast. The NR Carrack Cadence attempted to join in the defense of the freighters, but was cripped by an assault from behind. Having lost control of the battle, the Republic Revenge was crushed between the Miranda, a freighter from Nar Shadaa, and Tua'Luane, a freighter from Bothawui. All three were sent to a fiery fury in the catastrophic collission. Suffering under the Broadsword's fury, the Admiral Rishar lost her shields and sounded a full retreat, moments before she was cut to pieces by the Broadsword. With all of the freighters and most of the starfighters destroyed or adrift and awaiting execution, the Carrack Cadence made an attempt to escape into hyperspace. Damage to her hull was too severe, though, and she was destroyed instantaneously upon jumping. The surviving New Republic Corvette, Dedication was escorted home by the few starfighters who survived. It was an overwhelming Imperial victory, and drew Operation Shado Kolpo to a grinding halt. Assets * None. Losses * New Republic loses 3 Carrack Cruisers: the Admiral Rishar, Cadence, and Starborne. * New Republic loses 2 Corvettes: the Republic Revenge and Voidbreaker. * New Republic loses 11 X-Wings, 5 A-Wings, 4 B-Wings and 2 Y-Wings. * New Republic loses 30 civilian freighters of varying size and load. * Empire loses 1 Scimitar Bomber and 3 TIE Interceptor Mk2's. Outcome In the end, it would be considered a stalemate. The Empire and New Republic both suffered a high amount of losses, but clearly the New Republic suffered harder. Yet through their sacrifice, The New Republic Second Fleet managed to escort 141 freighters '''through the blockade, which provided the citizens of Coruscant with a heavy bit of emergency food and medical relief, and bolstered the failing economy for a short period. However, they had also lost '''six fleetships, 80 starfighters and an alarming 60 civilian freighters through the Operation. Supreme Commander Crix Madine and Admiral Ackbar suspended Operation Shado Kolpo officially shortly after the fifth wave, and Ackbar's public statement sealed it for good. Category:Conflicts